A seal has been spotted feeding in a Cardiff river this week. Passerby Owen Jones spotted the seal on Thursday, March 24 in the Rhymney River near Newport Road.
Mr Jones thought the sighting seemed unusual, but the RSPCA has said it's not as odd as it may seem. This is because seals have been known to travel inland "quite some distance" to look for food. In December, ‘heaps of visitors’ flocked to one Welsh town where seals keep appearing - you can read about that here.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: "Although it may seem odd, it is not unusual for seals to find their way into harbours or rivers and they have been known to travel inland quite some distance. This is often just a case of the seal looking for more food, which is a normal behaviour, and generally they find their way out to sea again.
"Occasionally seals may get into trouble if they pass canal locks, weirs or similar obstructions as these can prevent the seal travelling back down river to the sea. The RSPCA recommends that if you see a seal that appears healthy, it should be left alone. Seals can be incredibly strong and powerful wild animals and have a very nasty bite which can cause horrible wounds, which could become infected by the bacteria that live in a seal’s mouth.
"We would also ask the public to not get close to seals in order to take pictures or even selfies with them. Please keep other animals, such as dogs, away from the seal; be vigilant when walking dogs near the river and keep them on leads.
"Please do not try to encourage them back into the water as seal pups may haul out to rest, or if they're unwell. And please do not try to feed the seal as this may do more harm than good."
If you are concerned about any seal sightings. the advice is to observe them from a distance for at least 24 hours. If the seal is at risk, cannot get back (due to river obstruction such as a lock or weir), is sick or injured, or if it's a pup and the mother has not returned for 24 hours, please contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.
You can find more advice about what to do if you see a seal pup in need of help on the RSPCA’s website. To read the latest news from Cardiff sign up to our local newsletter.
